तदा मया विचारो वै कृतः स्वांते पतिव्रते । भवती क्षत्रिया किं न वीरसूः किं न वा भवेत्
"Then I considered this in my heart, O faithful wife: Are you a Kshatriya, or not the mother of a hero, or what else could it be?
धार्ष्ट्यं तद्वीक्ष्य भूपस्य गृहीतोऽश्वो मया बलात् । जितं कुशेन वीरेण सैन्यं तत्पातितं रणे
"Seeing that king's audacity, I seized the horse by force; the army was conquered in battle by the hero Kusha, and was overthrown.
मुकुटोऽयं भूमिपतेर्जानीहि पतिदेवते । अयमप्यन्यवीरस्य पुष्कलस्य महात्मनः
"This is the crown of the king, know this, O devoted one; and this is of another hero, the great-souled Pushkala.
जानीहि मुकुटं त्वन्यं मणिमुक्ताविराजितम् । अश्वोऽयं मे मनोहारी कामयानो हि भूपतेः
"Know this other crown, adorned with jewels and pearls; this horse, captivating to the mind, was desired by the king.
आरोहणाय मद्भ्रातुर्जानीहि बलिनो वरे । इमौ कीशौ मया रंतुमानीतौ बलिनां वरौ
"For mounting by my strong brother, know this, O best of the strong; these two monkeys were brought by me for sport, both foremost among the strong.
कौतुकार्थं तवैवैतौ संग्रामे युद्धकारकौ । इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य जानकी पतिदेवता
"For your amusement alone, these two are present, causing battle in the fight; hearing these words, Janaki, devoted to her husband—
जगाद पुत्रौ तौ वीरौ मोचयेथां पुनः पुनः । सीतोवाच। युवाभ्यामनयः सृष्टो हृतो रामहयो महान्
—spoke again and again to those two heroic sons, 'Release them.' Sita said: 'By you two, this great horse of Rama was seized and taken.'
अनेके पातिता वीरा इमौ बद्धौ कपीश्वरौ । पितुस्तव हयो वीरो यागार्थं मोचितोऽमुना
"Many heroes were struck down; these two monkey lords were bound. Your father's heroic horse was released by him for the sacrifice."
तस्यापि हृतवंतौ किं वाजिनं मखसत्तमे । मुंचतं प्लवगावेतौ मुंचतं वाजिनां वरम्
"Why do you two hold back the best horse, even after taking it from him at the great sacrifice? Release these two monkeys, or release the best of horses."
क्षाम्यतां भूपतेर्भ्राता शत्रुघ्नः परकोपनः । जनन्यास्तद्वचः श्रुत्वा ऊचतुस्तां बलान्वितौ
"Forgive the king's brother, Shatrughna, who is quick to anger; hearing these words of their mother, those two powerful ones replied to her."
क्षात्रधर्मेण तं भूपं जितवंतौ बलान्वितम् । नास्माकमनयोर्भावि क्षात्रधर्मेण युध्यताम्
"By the Kshatriya code, we have conquered that powerful king; for us two, there is nothing improper, as we fought according to the Kshatriya law."
वाल्मीकिना पुरा प्रोक्तमस्माकं पठतां पुरः
"As was formerly declared by Valmiki, let it be recited before us."
कण्वस्याश्रमकेवाहं धृत्वा यागक्रियोचितम् । तस्मात्सुतः स्वपित्रापि युध्येद्भ्रात्रापि चानुजः
In the hermitage of Kanva, I wore garments suitable for sacrificial rites; therefore, a son may fight even with his own father, and a younger brother with his elder.
गुरुणा शिष्य एवापि तस्मान्नो पापसंभवः । त्वदाज्ञातो ऽधुना चावां दास्यावो हयमुत्तमम्
Even a disciple may fight with his teacher; thus, no sin arises from this. Now, by your command, we shall return the excellent horse to you.
मोक्ष्यावः कीशावेतौ हि करिष्यावो वचस्तव । इत्युक्त्वा मातरं वीरौ गतौ रणे कपीश्वरौ
We will release these two princes and carry out your instruction. Having spoken thus, the two heroic lords of the monkeys approached their mother on the battlefield.
अमुंचतां हयं चापि हयमेधक्रियोचितम् । सीतादेवी स्वपुत्राभ्यां श्रुत्वा सैन्यं निपातितम्
They released the horse, which was fit for the ashvamedha sacrifice. Sita Devi, upon hearing from her sons that the army had been struck down,
श्रीरामं मनसा ध्यात्वा भानुमैक्षत साक्षिणम् । यद्यहं मनसा वाचा कर्मणा रघुनायकम्
Meditating on Shri Rama in her mind, she looked to the Sun as witness: 'If I, in mind, speech, and deed, worship only the lord of the Raghus and none other,
भजामि नान्यं मनसा तर्हि जीवेदयं नृपः । सैन्यं चापि महत्सर्वं यन्नाशितमिदं बलात्
then let this king live, and also this great army, which has been destroyed by force.'
पुत्राभ्यां तत्तु जीवेत मत्सत्याज्जगतांपते । इति यावद्वचो ब्रूते जानकीपतिदेवता
'Let them live by the truth of my words, O lord of the worlds, by my sons.' Thus, as Janaki, the goddess of the lord, spoke these words—
तावद्बलं च तत्सर्वं जीवितं रणमूर्द्धनि
At that very moment, the entire army regained life on the battlefield.
शेष उवाच। क्षणान्मूर्च्छां जहौ वीरः शत्रुघ्नः समरांगणे । अन्येऽपि वीराबलिनो मूर्च्छां प्राप्ताः सुजीविताः
Shesha said: In a moment, the heroic Shatrughna regained consciousness on the field of battle; other mighty warriors also revived from their swoon and lived.
शत्रुघ्नो वाजिनां श्रेष्ठं ददर्श पुरतः स्थितम् । आत्मानं च शिरस्त्राणरहितं सैन्यजीवितम्
Shatrughna saw before him the best of horses standing, and himself without a helmet, with the army restored to life.
वीक्ष्य चित्रमिदं स्वांते चकारच जगाद ह । सुमतिं मंत्रिणां श्रेष्ठं मूर्च्छाविरहितं तदा
Seeing this wondrous thing in his heart, he spoke to Sumati, the best of counselors, who was then free from faintness.
कृपां कृत्वा हयं प्रादाद्बालो यज्ञस्य पूर्तये । गच्छाम रामं तरसा हयागमनकांक्षिणम्
Out of compassion, he gave the horse, still a boy, for the completion of the sacrifice. 'Let us go swiftly to Rama, who longs for the horse's return.'
इत्युक्त्वा स रथे स्थित्वा हयमादाय वेगतः । ययौ तदाश्रमाद्दूरं भेरीशंखविवर्जितः
Having said this, he mounted the chariot, took the horse with speed, and departed far from that hermitage, without drum or conch.
तत्पृष्ठतो महासैन्यं चतुरंगसमन्वितम् । चचाल कुर्वन्संभग्नं स्वभारेण फणीश्वरम्
Behind him followed the great army, complete with four divisions, moving like the lord of serpents, burdened by its own weight.
जवेन जाह्नवीं तीर्त्वा कल्लोलजलशालिनीम् । जगाम विषये स्वीये स्वकीयजनशोभिते
With speed, he crossed the Jahnavi, rich with waves and water, and entered his own realm, adorned by his own people.
पुष्कलेन युतो राजा सुरथेन समन्वितः । रथे मणिमये तिष्ठन्महत्कोदंडधारकः
The king, accompanied by Pushkala and Suratha, stood on a jeweled chariot, bearing a great bow.
हयं तं पुरतः कृत्वा रत्नमालाविभूषितम् । श्वेतातपत्रं तस्यैव मूर्ध्नि चामरभूषितम्
Placing the horse, adorned with a garland of jewels, in front, and a white parasol and chowrie on its head,
अनेकरथसाहस्रैः परितो बलिभिर्नृपैः । उद्यत्कोदंडललितैर्वीरनादविभूषितैः
Surrounded on all sides by thousands of chariots and mighty kings, their bows raised, adorned with the cries of heroes.